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Parents and former teachers of Saint Theresa School, which closed its doors earlier this year as a result of low enrollment, have teamed up with community members to create a new private Catholic school in the same South Lake Tahoe location, according to a public announcement Monday.

The Lake Tahoe Catholic Academy will open its doors to students this fall, offering preschool through eighth grade classes with an emphasis on enhanced academic standards.

For the most part, LTCA will function similar to that of the defunct Saint Theresa School. Most, if not all, of the faculty will be retained in the transition, and the school will operate with guidelines established by the Diocese of Sacramento.

However, LTCA will not be a diocesan school like its predecessor. Other changes include an increased focus on science, technology, engineering and math in its curriculum.

“With the development of a new school, it’s critical to keep our academic standards to the highest level possible,” said LTCA president and local physician Dr. Allison Monroe in a statement. “The staff, families and students are looking forward to our new curriculum, and we will be using the Catholic pedagogical standards of the Diocese of Sacramento as a foundation for our programs. By using these existing standards and increasing the curriculum levels, we hope to se a new standard for education in Lake Tahoe.”

Fall enrollment is already “looking good” at LTCA — a school who’s viability will not be defined by the Diocese of Sacramento like Saint Theresa’s once was, according to LTCA volunteer and spokesperson Malin Kennedy.

About 50 students were enrolled at Saint Theresa when the school shut its doors.

With a new school taking over the campus, Anne Filce, director of education at LTCA and former principal of Saint Theresa School, said she is excited to continue offering a Catholic education in the area.

“The foundation of Catholic education is teaching and prioritizing the needs of service and stewardship within the community, as well as a commitment to academic excellence and learning,” Filce said in a statement. “We are so excited to continue with those themes, as well as offer the benefit of a challenging and stimulating curriculum to our children.”

School starts Sept. 2 at LTCA. For information on enrollment, Monroe can be reached at (530) 208-7657.